Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-23
4 Young THIEF.
EOW Vow York HcSScuScr' hoy
Robbed Fifty uWeIlsnEs.

Eow Now York HcSSeu=cr.Bcy
Robbed Fifty DWeIi,ngs.
Samuel Carr. who wore the uniform
Of an American District mcssenger-boy,
is confessed thief Since the week
before Christmas be has been operating
as sneak-thief in New York, and
his success was in large measure due
10 his uniform. He was employed
as messenger up to two months ago,
when he resigned. Frequent complaints
Of his thefts had been reported at New
York police headquarters, and on Jan
nary 9Th a description OF him was sent
out with orders for his arrest. His OPP
crations were principally confined to
the Eighteenth, Nineteenth and Twenty
fifth police precincts. Wednesday night
he was caught in Captain Clinchy's pre-
cinct shortly after he had stolen a coat
from the residence Of Fernando Bar
nard. No. 112 east Twcnty-fifth street.
Carr rang the bell there and asked the
servant who had called. After she
had gone TO inquire he fled with an
oycrcoat. He sauntcred towards Third
avenue, and when near the cor
ncr q man cagcrto catch a street-car ran
mp behind him. Carr, fearing that he
was being puT.rcd. dropped the coat
and started of on q run. Policeman
Manning arrested the boy and went
back to where hc had dropped the coat,
but another thief had taken it.
Carr was taken 10 the Twcnty-sccOnd-
street ,tation-houec. where he WIS con
iront,d by Girard Foster, Of No 2
Fifth avenue. who had just lost bis 1920
oycrcoat While visiting ut the residence
Of Hamilton Fish. Jr., at No. III east
1wCnty-frst street.
Seeing that he was discovered. Car
admitted the theft Of no less than ifs
oycrccats from rs many dwellings. -
of these hc had pawned and dcstroyCt
the tickets, but ne promised f. teli
where he Lad disposed Of them. Tie
said hc was sixteen years old and lived
with his mother and stepiather at No.
2gl Henry street, New York. He said
ne went 10 work for the messenger
company to make money enough
to help his mother, bat the
company fined bin so much
tbat bis wages were reduced to almost
nothing His stcpiathcr was ont Of
work. and tGc family needed money.
he got only few dollars ON each of tho
coats and gave his mother the money.
Sufficient evidence has been secured
against him. and hc says hc viii plead
guilty and probably bee sent 10 the
ElmiIa Ecformatory. The detectives
took Carr around town in hack topick
cut the houses ne had robbed and visi-
ted tho pavEbroEcrs shops with him in
order that hc might identity the stolen
property. when arrested hc wore the
uniform coat and cap of the messenger
company, and his shield bore tine NO.
1883.
At the boys request Captain C!inrhy
notified his mother Of his arrest She
came to the station-hou,c last evening
in great distress. Both she and Carr
et,p-fatLcr. who accompanied hcr de
nied all knowledge Of his acts aud told
tho Captain that they lad received lit
tie money from him. They were at a
loss 10 explain what ne had done with
tine proceeds of his thcfts The iad.
thcy aid, had been obcdient, and they
had had no idea that lac had gone
wrong.
Alter Carr returned 10 the station
house from lis tour Of the paCnshops
be- acknowledged that he -qnandcrci
most Of the money rcal'Z"d ON tht
stolen property. The pathetic story Of
his being the support oi ID, family wds
robbed Of its point. When / WAS
working I used to be left in thc hall
when waiting :or a call, he said, land
thought il q good chance TO shin the
pockets 81 the oytrcoats hanging m The
Lan. SClotimcal l made a pretty good
haui, but ! Thought it would be a good
scheme 60 take the coats and s'l tAem
tlt,r ! vas discharged ! began - Go
flat. Ia'H't any worse tLm goJd
uaDy CtAU H,s.eupor-toys. They ail
-t,al WEU ti.y get a cnancc, cause an"
company don't give tIcn WAGES cuoJEl
and tf,at them SO. fDing thcm tJr
cyGy Ett,C thing. Its sone O.: a." tricks
OF tic t.jc TO taLe whatever you can
get yOUr HANDS Oh Vi,a answering %
call.
gLe d,t,ct,ycs have d long liet OF
places tlat Car pointed ont as having
Leon roLica by hin. Guiln2tne ait r
noon lie succeeded in identifying eight
coats at the paHLshops whore had taken
them. Arepoltcr saw them piled mp
On IL table in Captain Clinchys o.icc.
and fCuLG them iOr the most put to be
Eieh-pr.ccd garments. Their v1idr
would no doubt aggregate over 500
but the total for which tney wer.
pledged was only S3S, ranging IRON 3
to $40 apiece. Ihe boywas starttl out
IdNcR and s O'Clock on another
hunt for coats. and it was continued
until hate hour.
Cuc OF Che pGvnbrokers Who al
yarccd money on q couple ot coats
said TO q p criI reporter: " This boy
came to my place dressed like a mes
songcr-boy, and | thought nothing o.
his asking ne to advance money on a
coat. lie said ii was given to him by Il
man who had been on racket, and
was broke and wanted money to 60
10 hotel to sober up. That very fre-
ducntly happens. If hc had asked for
a large amount on the coat / would
would have been distrustfal, but all he
wanted was little money, and said the
coat would be- taken ont the next day.
When the second coat vas brought Il
nv clerk took il Cor the same reason, !
suppose
The manaCcr Of tine messenger de.
partmento Of tie american District Teie-
graph Company, at No. 8 Dey street.
where Carr sl;l he had worked, denied
that they ever had such bog employed
there. Finally, after looking over the
books. the name of $. Carr was found.
His home Was registered as No. 4j5
cast Eighteenth street, This boy WAS
discharged three months ago, sine
which time nothing had been heard q
him. TIE manager said no cap-shleld
with the number 1893 WIS missing, and
the hoy Who worked under the number
was one of the most reliable ones in the
service. lie stated that the company's
private detective, McGinnis, had com
menced an investigation when notlded
by the central Office.
The game played by Carr is not NV
one Ii was successfully worked seye-